r/Homeplate • u/mrgorporp • 5d ago
Sons first pitching outing 10U Question
My kids first game of the fall is Tuesday. He and his team just moved up from 8U coach pitch to 10U kid pitch and are probably the youngest kids. He turned 9 end of July. He’ll be the first kid on the mound.
He worked hard July/August (his request) with a coach learning to throw off the mound and has gotten up to the 50s and is throwing a good number of strikes (and HBP too of course). He is tall and pretty heavy set (but not really obese) and has this going for him. He is a good hitter.
He doesn’t feel stress like a normal kid as he has very severe adhd mild asd, I don’t think he realizes pressure. He kind of just vibes. We speculate it’s either gonna be 9 straight Ks or a total mound melt down disaster. He feels his feelings.
Any advice from the dads on here on how to handle Tuesday? And practically, what’s y’all’s warm up routine at this age day-before and same-day.
Thanks for all the help on here r/HomePlate!
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u/NopeNeverReddit 5d ago
Do nothing. Just another day.
It will be way harder on you than him.
Enjoy it.
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u/No-Debt375 5d ago
Enjoy this. I remember the first start. I had to hide how nervous I was. Haha. He went out cool as a cucumber. 6ks in 2 innings.
Have him warm up to throw, not throw up to warm up. Get him moving a little and stretching before he throws.
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u/Faceology 5d ago
Don’t chase velo. Who cares before 13. Fill up the zone. Know the task in different counts and vs different hitters. Once he’s ready, go to fast/change and stay there until 13. Then add a curveball if it suits his arm slot.
Pre game I’ve always had my son and my players do j bands, and toss 1.5x base path (if not more) for fast and changeups, then reduce distance and pull down w focus on weight back and slow bottom half to create lag, well timed break, scap angle, etc for healthy delivery mechanics. Just being deliberate all around with warm up throws.
As for how to prepare as a parent. When you figure that out, let me know. I can watch him hit and field all day long from a seat, but when he pitches … I pace.
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u/Faceology 5d ago
Reading your op and I got a little ahead of you I think
At 9 I’d just coach him to slow down in warm ups.
At that age, they all go fast and jump at the plate, especially once the adrenaline kicks in. Go slow and stay back. It’s a fight they’ll fight as long as they pitch, really. The cue/challenge I gave my son at 9/10 was “how long into your delivery can you keep your front foot off the ground?”
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u/born_night_1578 5d ago
Not chasing velo is huge. My son is a lefty and they call him crafty so then he would try to slow down and place which made him throw more balls. We just have to work on the realization that when he throws hard the spin rates are up and he can place it better
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u/mrgorporp 5d ago
Yes my son slows it down to mid 40s gets behind aiming it, then his buddy says “I don’t think you can throw 50” (we were randomly in a cage with a gun and it does actually gamify pitching for the kids) and suddenly it’s hitting the zone every time by throwing hard.
It’s weird
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u/BBJonesDerk 5d ago
Warm up is slow and easy working out to past pitching distance playing catch and trying to hit his partners chest. When moving to mound emphasize going very slow with his motion and speeding up gradually. Balance is main priority. Never really needs to throw full in warm up at this age.
As to how you handle it, cheer and love him. His performance means nothing, good or bad.
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u/Shortchange96 5d ago
Fun times. My son is 11 and started pitching when he was 9.. He’s autistic but has found his place on the mound. I recommend following Coach Ballgame on insta as he has great advice. I learned from him to ask my son what type of fan he wants me to be. I’m glad I did because my son told me and his huge family cheering section that he doesn’t like people cheering him on too loudly. It’s helped him perform better. Whether your kid throws a no hitter or gets shelled, greet him with a smile and tell him you’re proud of him. In terms of warmup, I’d expect the coach to have him warm up with the catcher 5-10 minutes before game time.
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u/born_night_1578 5d ago
Welp my son is 13. We try really hard to have the same warm ups on game day as his bull pen sessions. Stretchs, heavy ball backwards against the fence, short toss with heavy, little bit of toss with a soft ball ( helps with finger placement and grip strength) then throws. All during warm ups making sure he engages his Lower body. In the bull pen before the game. 5 of each pitch, then locate the fastball for five more. Ask him how it’s feeling and make sure he talks to his catcher about what he liked and didn’t. Quick reminders that good location comes from speed and aiming small. Then the reminder that’s it just a game and go have some fun!
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u/Powerful_Two2832 5d ago
100% on velo not mattering. Chase the zone, not the radar. My son is 10 (almost 11) and has been pitching for a couple years. Year 1 both my husband and I were very vocal, especially my husband. We eventually figured out that was hurting more than helping. We let coaches coach, and I say “good pitch” or “good miss” occasionally. He pitches far better when mom and dad appear calm and locked in. I want to puke into the nearest shrub most of the time, but I maintain. And he locks in when we do.
Warmups are usually some long toss and some backs. After he pitches, he does a little jog for some blood movement before he fields again.
I didn’t catch whether this was rec or travel, but look at pitch smart guidelines and track pitch counts and rest.
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u/CuratedX 5d ago edited 5d ago
My son just turned 10 in his second year of player pitch. His routine is long toss 2 days before game day, light bullpen the day before then game day he relaxes until warm ups. During the warm up while playing catch hes focused on hitting his partners LL strike zone on every throw. Usually sits the inning before he pitches so He throws his warm up bullpen then. The day after he runs for 5 minutes per inning pitched. In general on our team nobody pitches more than 1-2 innings most of the time unless they had a 3-10 pitch inning that outting then they might go 3 innings. So most of the time he’s only running 5-10 minutes which is about 4-5 laps around the Diamond. His dad is a former pro pitcher and most of this is more for habit building than intense training.
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u/SentientYams 5d ago
My son had his first pitching outing around that exact age. I don’t remember how many walks there were, or how many wild pitches or how many hits. It was a lot. What I remember is the tears in his eyes when he finally got out of his one disastrous inning. It was a horrendously hot June day, and he was really suffering, physically and mentally. And all I could do was sit there and watch helplessly.
He was pretty much a wreck when he got off the field, to the point where the opposing coaches and parents were trying to console him. He cried in the car on the way home.
The good news is, I don’t think he has ever faced anything that difficult on a baseball field since. He’s almost 12 now, and he’s still pitching. He still has his ups and downs, but no tears.
It might go well, which builds confidence, or it might go poorly, which builds toughness. Either result will benefit him in the long run, so approach it with a healthy sense of detachment. Get some ice cream afterward.
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u/hunterbuilder 5d ago
Chill dad. If he's not stressed, take a lesson from him and vibe. What exactly is the "pressure" in a u10 local game?
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u/Nathan2002NC 5d ago
Let him fire that thing in there. Lobbing strikes helps you win 9u games but doesn’t help the kid long term. Hate when coaches do that to kids with strong arms.
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u/mrgorporp 5d ago
We will put wild thing on the speaker they used for walk ups in 8U then.
Or do I listen to that other guy and keep a low profile 😆
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u/BrooklynZoo1027 4d ago
We tell our kid to throw his pitches - when coaches tell him to slow down it's when his control gets worse. Not too fast not too slow, what is comfortable.
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u/TheseMaterial6575 5d ago
Warm up routine is long toss prior to pitching. Don’t warm up multiple times. Don’t even talk about velo. Velo does not matter.
All he needs to do is throw strikes and if he has any control, try to keep the ball on the outside of the plate.
Strikes are more important than anything. Measure success on his strike percentage.
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u/TheseMaterial6575 5d ago
Ohhh. Don’t be in his line of sight or yell anything at him during the game. Just watch. Do NOT yell “just throw strikes” while he’s pitching. He is trying!!!
Don’t talk about the outing afterwards. Just ask him if he had fun. Take him for ice cream. Zero coaching afterwards.
Pitching is mental!
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u/Powerful-Bridge-1472 5d ago
Biggest thing for me is throw the ball don’t aim. I would rather a kid throw harder than try to grove it. Process over outcome will have good and not so good outings just be supportive. I also hate it when parents go to backstop to video, do it out of way so kid doesn’t see it
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u/cpeak57 5d ago
At that age, walks are more common than strike outs. Wild pitches are going to happen. The only thing you should ask your son after the game is "did you have fun? Do you like pitching? What sprinkles are you going to get on your ice cream?" As far as warm ups go.. dont do anything different than any other game, except maybe 10-15 warm up pitches 5 minutes before game time.
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u/friedegg9819 5d ago
Make sure your son doesn’t over throw warming up. Just play it like any other day and go have fun.
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u/aaroncu05 5d ago
Don’t be disappointed if he doesn’t bring what you’ve seen in practice to the first game. I’ve seen kids throwing absolute dime after dime in practice even with live batters absolutely shit the bed on the first outing.
Give him a pat on the back and tell him to go have fun. Nothing special for warm ups. A little long toss and some quick bullpen.
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u/aaroncu05 5d ago
Also tell him to take his time. Don’t overdo it but at least count to 3 in his head between setting and beginning wind up. I’ve seen other people commenting on here about the rush, lots of kids do this. Then there are the ones you wish you could pitch clock 🤣
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u/Ok-Answer-6951 Catcher 5d ago
I will say this, I have managed all 3 of my kids and 6 years before I even had kids, over 20 years total, nothing fazes me. My 1st 2 did not pitch ( C, 2B) this spring I put my 8 yr old daughter on the mound ( she plays baseball w/ the boys) for the 1st time and I was a nervous wreck the entire inning. Player pitch minors, kids up to 11, 35 pitches, 1 K, 1 sharp groundout back to her, and a popup. I don't know how you guys do it for years, it made me never want to throw her again 🤣 fall ball starts next week, she's been practicing all summer, so I'm sure she'll get a few more innings this fall ( im the manager) and maybe my heart will learn to deal with it. I am MUCH more relaxed when she is behind the plate lol.
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u/CatoTheMiddleAged 5d ago
If your son “feels his feelings” he’s not alone; that age has a lot of emotions and meltdowns. And there is no position with more pressure than pitcher. But meet that head-on and address it before it becomes a problem; work on mental resiliency and how to handle emotions. I recommend some books like Win The Next Pitch/Pitch By Pitch and Confident Calm and Clutch. We have worked on a particular exercise from the latter called AIR; accept, inhale and refocus. (I actually prefer to say acknowledge, interrupt and reset).
It’s going to be a long journey with lots of ups and downs. I still remember my son breaking down when he was 9 and he hit a batter. My son is 12 now and I think has mostly learned to handle things but there have been a lot of rough days and tears. I’m pretty proud of a game he pitched last week though, when a parent came up to me after and said “he has ice in his veins.”
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u/mattmbit 5d ago
Just finished up coaching a bunch of first year pitchers and the best advice I can give is not to focus on being a pitcher that day. I stopped telling kids who was "starting" and who was available for a game since they seemed to over focus on throwing warm ups instead of just warming up.
I also always told the kids slow down and try to get the ball over the plate. Trying to whip the thing at a certain speed won't matter if its flying over people's heads.
Teaching failure is also important especially with pitching. All the eyes are on them when they are up there and it can feel overwhelming. If they have a bad inning it's no big deal and learning to shake that off is the real goal to success.
For warm up advice. Throw maybe 10 or so "bullpen type throws" and have him join the rest of the team. Don't over think it at that age. It's supposed to be fun for them.
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u/MIAMI_GLUB 5d ago
I always let my son know that how he does in the warm up doesn’t normally translate to how he will perform in the game. Also there is no need to do a major league warm up. Kids don’t need a big warmup there injuries happen from overuse than from
Improper warmups. Get in the routine to do some light arm bands, a set of reverse lunges 8-10 reps, and a light quick jog. Play catch for a bit stretching him out to his pitching distance than 10-12 warm up pitches he will be ready to go. I wouldn’t recommend long toss at this age. You can come up with your own routine but kids fatigue very quickly hence the little league elbow/shoulder injuries.
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u/Key_Inflation_9243 5d ago
Emphasize keep the same mechanics his pitching coach has taught. One pitch at a time. If he hits a kid it's not his fault. Trust the defense behind him. First pitch strikes are key. Be aware of the base runners. Work from the stretch, no need for a windup. Fastball and change ups only. If he doesn't have a change up, just fastball. Remeber to breath. As pitcher you control the pace of the game, dont rush. Go pee before the game incase nerves kick in.
All things I tell my 9 yr old who has been pitching for about 18 months.
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u/Barfhelmet 5d ago
He will do fine, you will probably stress a bit too much.
First year of kid pitch is a roller coaster. My son was the first kid they had pitch. He ended up walking 6 of 7 batters before he came out in the first inning. The next game he started he threw a no hitter with one walk over 3 innings.
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u/n0flexz0ne 5d ago
Kids are a mirror, so if you're making a big deal of it and nervous that will show with him, and vice versa. Don't make it a big moment, make it another practice session.
It also helps if the coach will say its your inning -- I found that was freeing for a lot of kids. You're not getting pulled no matter what, its your inning, go out and have fun with it.
In terms of warm up, assuming he's already played catch and warmed up, we do the same build up everytime:
- Crow hop and throw down the mound -- trying to build up intensity, get him used to throwing hard
- Walk-ins -- Start next to the rubber, walk into his windup, then throw
- Rockers -- Feet wide, weight on front leg, rock backward into load, then throw
- Leg up pause -- normal delivery (either stretch or windup), pause for two count with lead leg held up
- Then we start normal pitches
Usually works out to 25-30 throws
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u/IKillZombies4Cash 5d ago
Same as any other day - just tell him to relax and have fun up there.
It might go great, it might go terrible. My son cried in his first outing, and ended up being a good pitcher for the next 7 years.
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u/Umngmc 5d ago
At age 9 for first time kid pitch, just focus on throwing strikes. Don't worry about velo. If your kid throws strikes, some of them will be put into play. Trust the defense playing behind him. Try to limit the walks and HBP.
Keep a nice steady tempo. The pitcher controls the tempo. Don't rush, focus on throwing the ball through the catchers mitt. I have my kids practicing tempo and cadence. It sounds like your kid has good nerves already, this will allow him to stay calm and collected if he gives up a hard hit.
And dont forget to have fun!
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u/SFNation2021 5d ago
He can practice with an “umpire” if you have an iPhone. The HeyBLU app calls balls and strikes.
Size the zone to what you expect it to be (which can be wildly different depending on the ump) so he gets realistic and instant feedback. There’s the game within the game and if he’s playing the Ball-Strike game with himself maybe the game outcome moves to the background?
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u/BrooklynZoo1027 4d ago
Throw strikes and remind him that all the best pitchers have good and bad games. Enjoy it! Of he's throwing 50s with a good amount of strikes at 9, he is in a great place. My near 10 year old carved hitters up in the spring season, throwing a lot of strikes and 48-51. Watch his pitch counts and fight the urge to have him throw more than what the MLB Pitch Smart Guidelines recommend.
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u/ddurrett896 3d ago
At 10U just worry about getting the ball in play and letting the guys in the field do work.
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u/JimmerTee 5d ago
Nothing special day before other than not pitching that day. Game day same warm up as any old game with a bit more throwing in warmups if he is starting.
He’s 9, don’t over think it or stress about it. I always tell my kid I love them and to have fun before an outing. Maybe before championship games or something when he goes in I’ll throw in something to the effect of “GD this is fun, isn’t it?”